Choosing good friends who are wholesome, moral, and engage in safe activities.

Avoiding people who are quarrelsome, arrogant, and confrontational.

Avoiding criminal behavior or hanging out with people who are criminals.

Avoiding dangerous areas or establishments with known violence or criminal elements.

Avoid provocative dress and overly flirtatious behavior.

Note: this is not blaming the victim! You have control over your own lifestyle choices and you can choose to live safely and to avoid violence in your life.

2. Attitude:

Keep a positive, confident, and caring/loving attitude.

Be pleasant toward others so as to invite kindness in return.

Be tolerant and open-minded toward other people.

Discuss controversial issues and ideas only with people who are willing to engage in meaningful discussion.

Remember, you do not always have to win a discussion; sometimes we must agree to disagree.

You cannot and should not control other people’s lives: let people live their own lives without unnecessary interference from you.

When tempers flare or tensions rise, be humble and de-escalate the situation.

Be the bigger person and choose NOT to fight and to seek peace, even if that means being humiliated or called names.

Live peacefully and harmoniously with those around you.

Remember that other people may be relying on you (especially of you are a father, mother, or caregiver), and so you cannot live selfishly for yourself only. Your actions will affect others, so avoid conflict, violence, and fighting at all cost.

3. Awareness:

You do not need to be paranoid or on hyper ninja alert, but do not be willfully oblivious to your surroundings.

You can control what you pay attention to and what you ignore.

Avoid being oblivious to your surroundings

Avoid texting while walking around.

Do NOT text and drive.

Avoid tuning out in public places with headphones and loud music.

Avoid walking and/or jogging in public with headphones and loud music.

Be actively aware of what is going on around you.

Stay alert and constantly look around and take notice.

Enjoy the beautiful, interesting things.

Be alert to and cautious of anything that seems out of the ordinary or suspicious

Take appropriate evasive action sooner rather than later:

Walk around groups of rowdy people.

Avoid dangerous situations.

Do not engage in conversation with strangers.

Be aware of scams and how one person may be a distraction for the other person who is planning the attack.

If you are reading or using your smartphone in a public place (train, bus, park, etc.), be sure to lift your head up occasionally and take a look around you to see what is going on.